This invention relates generally to automotive seats and more particularly to automotive seats that include air cells to adjust the comfort of the seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,430 granted to Youki Yoshida and Kenji Ichikawa Apr. 24, 1984 discloses an automotive seat that has a pneumatic component in the form of an air cell type lumbar support that is embedded or housed in the lower portion of a seat back. The air cell is pressurized to a desired degree to conform the curvature and hardness of the surface of the seat back to the preference of the seat occupant. The air cell is inflated by manipulating a handle or lever that expands and contracts a manual pump that is fixedly mounted in a space in the upper portion of the seat back. The air cell is deflated by pushing a button in the end of the lever that opens a vent.
This pneumatic lumbar support system has several drawbacks from a practical standpoint. The system has several components, such as an air cell, pump, lever assembly and hoses that are individually mounted on the seat back and assembled in place. This is a costly and time consuming process that is not compatible with the quick pace of a modern assembly line. The pressurization of the air cell is also to adjust primarily because the air pump is manually operated by a lever that is not conveniently located for operation by the seat occupant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,550 granted to Naohiro Imaoka and Hitoshi Nakashima Feb. 2, 1988 discloses an automotive seat that has several air cells disposed within the seat for changing the hardness or resiliency of the seat cushion and the seat back. The seat back includes an air pump that is mounted on the frame of the seat back by brackets and that is connected to each of the air cells by an air supply means and a main air pipe for controlling the supply of air to the air cells. Each air cell can be controlled in hardness manually by a manual operation switch or automatically by speed and steering angle sensors and a controller.
This patent does not disclose any construction details of the air pump or the manner in which it is manually controlled by the manual operation switch. However, the patent does appear to suggest the use of an electric motor driven air pump that is controlled by an electric switch that is mounted on the side of the seat.
This system also has several drawbacks even though it does not appear to require a manually operated pump. It also consists of several components that are individually mounted on the seat back and assembled in place which is a costly and time consuming process that is not compatible with modern assembly line speeds as printed out above. Moreover, the system is not disclosed in sufficient detail to show how the system can be incorporated into the seat in a practical manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,425 granted to Roger H. Noble Jun. 20, 1989 discloses a cushioned seating assembly that includes a seat support cushion and a back support cushion and a control assembly that controls inflation and at least partial deflation within the cushioned support assembly through supply/exhaust lines. The cushioned seating assembly may be used in association with existing power and fluid pressure sources as shown in FIG. 4 of the patent or in association with an internal power fluid pressure source as shown in FIG. 5. This latter alternative includes an electric motor driven air compressor and solenoid air valve.
However, the patent does not disclose if or how the electric motor driven air compressor and solenoid is incorporated into the seat much less how these components can be incorporated into the seat in a practical manner to accommodate the quick pace of a modern production line.